Switch-operating device



Dee. 29,1925- y M. J. BECK Er AL SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE Filed Feb. l, 1923 INI/Enron MB as QA. Rb@

fi llll A TTURNE YS Patented Dec. 29, 1925.

lJNlTlSDV STATES PATENT QFFlCE..

MARTIN JULIUS BECK AND CARL L. BECK, OF ST. JAMES, MINNESOTA.

SWITCH-OPERATING DEVICE.

Application led February 1, 1923. Serial No. 616,397.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that we, MARTIN JULIUs BECK and CARL L. Biron, both citizens of the United States, and residents of St. James, in the county of VVatonwan and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Switch-Operating Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to improvements in switch operating devices, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of our invention is to provide a device of the character described by means of which the electric lights in a sleeping room may be turned on simultaneously with the operation of an alarm clock, thereby serving' to constantly notify the occupant of the room that he is to rise.

A further object of our invention is to provide a device of the character described that is especially well adapted to turn on the light in a chicken house at a predetermine time in the morning so that the fowls may not be deprived of an opportunity to move about or leave in the morning, prior io the presence of daylight.

A further object of our invention is to provide a. device of the character described with which an ordinary alarm clock may be engaged and disengaged without the use of any specially constructed connecting mechanism, and therefore the alarm clock used may be conveniently moved about from place to place and returned to its operative position adjacent the switch operating mechanism without causing any inconvenience.

A further object of our invention is to provide a device of the character described in which the standard through push switch is employed, such switch being in common use and well known in the art.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which Figure l is a side elevation of an embodiment of our invention with an alarm clock operatively engaged therewith,

Figure 2 is an end elevation in another plane of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 2.

In carrying out our invention, we make use of a base 1,- upon which a suitable supporting block 2 is secured. In the present embodiment of our invention, we have shown the block 2 as an upright block for a reason hereinafter explained.

Cnr switch operating' mechanism consists in a metal base 3 which is stamped from flat metal and fashioned with two upwardly extending side bearing members 4 and 5.v The bearing members 4 and 4 have alined openings therethrough, by means of which a shaft 6 is rotatably supported thereupon. The shaft 6 is provided at one end with a collar 7 securely fixed thereto, and the bearing member 4 is fashioned to extend upwardly above the shaft 6 and downwardly so as to stradde the collar 7 as shown at 8 in Figure 8. The downwardly extending portion of the bearing 4 is of course also provided with an opening therethrough, through which the outer end 9 of the shaft 6 proj ects. This structure tends to efficiently retain the shaft 6 against excessive lateral movement.

The opposite end of the shaft 6 is bent in the shape of a triangle, as shown at 10. The sides thereof are slotted longitudinally, as shown at 11 in Figures 1 and 2. rI`his slotted portion 11 is sufficiently wide to admit the alarm key 12 of an alarm clock, as indicated at 13, thereto.

It will be apparent at this time that the reason for employing an upright block 2 in the present embodiment of the.invention shown in Figure 1, is that the key 12 of the alarm clock 13 is in such a position that the device may more conveniently engage 'f with the key when in an upright position. The base 3 is secured to the block 2 by means of wood screws 14 which extend through openings in the base 3 and in the block 2.

The shaft 6 is fashioned with an offset crank portion 15 intermediate its length and substantially midway between the bearing member 4 and 5. A connecting rod 16 of substantially the same diameter and mechanical strength, is pivotally mounted at one end 18 to the crank portion 15 of the shaft 6.

The opposite end of the base 3 is fashioned with a pair of upwardly extending and rearwadly bent spaced apart lugs 19 (see Figure 2.) The upper portion or rearwardly extending part of the lugs 19 is at a Cil sufficient distance from the base 3 as to frictionally engage a standard through switch mechanism 20. This mechanism 20 is a complete article in itself and is well known in the art.

The switch mechanism consists briefly in a casing` constructed of two parts 21 and 22, the interior of which houses a snap switch mechanism that is actuated by a push rod 23 which extends out through the casing` 2O at one side of the casing, as indicated in Fig'- ure 2, when the switch is ofi", and out through the opposite end of the casing,l 20, as indicated iny dotted lines at 2st, when the switch mechanism is turned on. The switch is actuated by alternately pressing the push rods 23 yand 2/1 which are upon a common supporting member, alternately toward the casing. That portion of the base 3 which is not bent upwardly to form the lugs 19, that is the portion between the lugs 1f), is bent upwardly at a point inimediately adjacent the inner side 26 of the casing' 20.

This portion is in the .n of a strip being a relatively narrow strip, and is convoluted, as shown at 28, so as to permit the introduction of the switch mechanism housed in the casing 2O between the lugs 19 and the strip 27' laterally. The strip 2T is bent rearwardly at 29, and extends parallel to the base 3, as shown at 30, for a portion of its length, where it is bent to incline downwardly at 31 and touch the base 3 at 32. It will be noted from an inspection of Fig'- ures 1 and 2 that the strip 27 is slotted at its outer end, as shown at 3?), thereby permitting the free movement of the connecting` rod 16.

The far end of the connecting,` rod 16 is slidably supported by a vertical portion 3ft of the angular convoluted side of the strip 27. This vertical portion is of course provided with a suitable opening for admitting the connectingrod 16 therethrough.

From the toJegoingdescription of the variousparts of the device, the .operation thereof may be readily understood. Prior to the use of the device, it is necessary that the switch mechanism housed in the casing' 20 shall be suitably connected by means ot ,feed wires 35 to an electric current source, and that the lead wires 36 be suitably con- .nected to the incandescent lamps, or other electrical lighting means or l'iezfitingl means, as the case may be, that it is wished to actuate.

The alarm clock 13 is then set sothat the alarm mechanism will aetuate at a predetermined time, and the alarm key 12 which winds the main spring of the alarm, is turnedl to properly wind the spring. The alarm clock 13 is then placed adjacent the base 2 so that the key 12 thereof may be re cei ved in the slot 11 in the triangular portion 1() of the shaft (i,

`nected thereto, reciprocates.

The mechanism is now ready for use and it is merely necessary for the appointed time to arrive to complete the operation ot the device. At this time the alarm mechanism will actuate and in doing` so, the main spring of the alarm mechanism will be unwound, causing,` a movement of the ley 12. This movement of the key 12 rotates the shaft G, and the connecting rod 1G, pivotally con- This reciprocation of the connecting rod 1G will cause the push rod 23 ofthe switch mechanism housed in the casing' 2O to be moved toward the casing, and the push rod portion to assume the position shown in dotted lines at 24.

lt has explained before that the push rods when in this position, will close the switch which in turn of course will actuate the heating mechanism or turn on the liffhts, dependiim` upon the particular function for which the user lintends to employ the device. Then the alarm clock has served its purpose, during the daytime when itl is not needed for the actuation of the switch, which may then be actuated manually by removing` it from engagement with the lugs 19 and the strip 27, the clock may be easily disengaged from the mechanism by merely movingg` it away and used about the house as necessary.

This device can also be used for turning ofi'I lights, for instance, in the store show window, a given time in the evening, by merely reversing` the position of the casing 20, so as to cut off the current.

le claim A device of the character described, comprising a base member, clampinglugs integral with said base member for holdingv an electrical switch mechanism havingY a push rod for operating the mechanism, a crank shaft rotatably,mounted on said base mem- Jer with its axis perpendicular to the axis of said push rod oit said switch mechanism., said crank shaft being' fashioned with one of its ends for engagement with the windingkey of an alarm clock, a connecting rod connected at one end to said crank shaft and having its opposite end adjacent` to the end of said push rod, whereby rotation of said crank shaft may occasion a longitudinal move-ment of said push rod, and bearing means for maintaining said connecting rod in registration with said push rod, said bearing` means being formed integral with said base member and cooperating' with iid clamping lugs and securing` said switch mechanism to said base member and encompassing the space occupied by said switch push rod whenit is projected toward said connecting rod.

CARL L. BECK. MARTN JULIUS BECK. 

